The winter season in Zimbabwe has hit Trenance neighbourhood in Bulawayo hard, leaving residents devastated.
In the early hours of Friday, a well-known heavy drinker from the area fell victim to the merciless grasp of the harsh cold weather, or as some speculate, his excessive alcohol intake.
His lifeless body was discovered lying on the ground. The incident was confirmed by Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube.
Icy Bulawayo Winter Claims Another Unwary Drinker
The man was notorious for frequenting local bottle stores and had reportedly purchased two 750ml bottles of potent Explorer spirit from Moyo Shopping Centre before continuing his drinking spree elsewhere.
This tragic scenario has become all too common in the area, where alcohol abuse has claimed the lives of three individuals recently, all found lying helplessly on the ground.
Patson Khumalo, a local resident, expressed his dismay at the situation, noting that the deceased had travelled a considerable distance given the amount of alcohol he had consumed.
“He travelled a long distance from Moyo shops up to where we found him lying dead, it’s a distance of about three to four kilometres. With the amount of alcohol, he consumed, he felt he had reached home and slept outside, where the weather conditions are not favourable at all,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief.
Khumalo also highlighted a concerning trend of consuming undiluted illicit brews, which can prove fatal.
“The problem with most of these victims is that they drink these substances without diluting them, and of which it’s excess to the body, considering the number of percentages they have. So automatically, you lose your senses and start to act in unusual manners like we have experienced,” he explained and called for more awareness about the dangers of such practices.
Residents Call For Intervention Following Death
Another resident, Wellington Ndlovu, expressed worry about the abundance of street sellers enabling this tragic cycle.
“This case is the third in our area, and all the victims have proved that they had consumed excess alcohol without dilution. It is surely a cause of concern,” he said, hoping for measures to curb the illicit trade.
The consequences of alcohol abuse extend far beyond individual tragedies, leaving families in distress, especially when the breadwinner falls victim to such habits.
“The families of the deceased are left stranded as they usually look upon the fathers, and because of alcohol, they are left struggling as the breadwinner would have departed. It’s heartbreaking for the communities,” Ndlovu explained, his voice filled with emotion.
In the face of such sorrow, Phathisani Ncube, another resident, passionately pleaded with law enforcement agencies to take action against those operating without licenses.
“We urge the police and other enforcers to go out and arrest the perpetrators who are pushing these illicit drugs. It would certainly reduce the number of people who are engaging in the abuse of alcohol,” he passionately implored.
Source iHarare.com
